Total Motorcycle Community Forums

Are you supposed to ride the clutch more with bikes than with cars? I know my rule when driving, to spare the clutch plates, is to keep my foot off that clutch as much as possible. Is it the same with bikes? Or, do I remember a friend telling me that its not quite the same, that you can/are meant to work the clutch more?

A car clutch is dry, meaning it is just two surfaces meeting without lubrication. If you "slip" a dry clutch, it heats up and wears pretty quickly.

MOST motorcycles (though not all) have a wet clutch, meaning the surfaces are immersed in oil. The oil helps cool down the surfaces, and so they wear a lot more slowly.

My MSF BRC instructor taught riding the clutch at extremely low speeds for speed control (such as when doing a U turn, or manuvering in your driveway or parking spot). It can be smoother than using the throttle in first or second gear.

I'm pretty sure when actually riding down the road, you don't want to ride the clutch at all.

jtrindle wrote:A car clutch is dry, meaning it is just two surfaces meeting without lubrication. If you "slip" a dry clutch, it heats up and wears pretty quickly... MOST motorcycles (though not all) have a wet clutch, meaning the surfaces are immersed in oil. The oil helps cool down the surfaces, and so they wear a lot more slowly

Ahh, now that makes a lot of sense. Thank you!

Ride it heavy when your going slow and only use it to shift gears

Ride it heavy?

When you ar ein stop and go traffic or traffic where you are only going 2-5 mph, and 1st gear at idle will be faster than that. Ride the clutch and use it to manipulate your speed rather than letting it all the way out, braking letting it all out, braking, etc. YOu should be able to maintaina consistant slow speed with the clutch half engaged at very slow speeds with no problems.

When I first starting riding (with my friend Moses) I was told that it is the clutch that makes you go. Duh is it not the throttle? No if you pull in your clutch you can rev till the cows come home you are not going any where. The throttle will make you go faster. Finally I got it, if I learnt to control the clutch I have more control. Every bike I have had I could move at idle by clutch control. Remember your bike is an individual and you are going to have to find the friction zone. Many new riders make a basic mistake. They put revs, let the clutch out until it bites and you start to move, then they let the clutch snap out all the way, thats when you fly, panic and usually hit something.

Totally agree, the clutch is the thing get you moving not the throttle. I too every time on new bike, will pratice walking the bike with clutch control no throttle until I find a friction zone. After that you will take off as smooth as silk or you can get on the throttle harder and not losse control off your bike.

This is the very first thing MSF teaches you in course.

By "riding " the clutch...using the friction zone...You can ride slower than a walking pace. You use the rear brake to control the speed, use the clutch in the friction zone, and apply slight throttle, allowing the engine to act as the gyroscopic force usually supplied by the wheels. If you do this for extended periods without letting it cool, the clutch will get mushy, and anytime you do this with increased rpms you will accelerate wear... probably less than you think, though. But...it's a small price to pay for the added maneuverability with your feet on the pegs, where they belong on a street bike. I have done this in a parking lot with cones set up, for so long (having too much fun), thatI thought I ruined my clutch because of how it started to act. 10 minutes of cooling down later it was as normal as can be. I cooled mine while riding around in slow figure eights and curves around the parking lot without shifting out of second gear to cool it. I suppose you could just not ride and accomplish the same thing.